Prison overcrowding crisis: 'Ya wouldn’t let a dog live in there'

Mountjoy prison inmates decry harsh conditions, citing overcrowding, mental health strain, and poor facilities in a growing crisis

A cell in Mountjoy Prison with a mattress on the floor to accommodate a second prisoner due to overcrowding. Picture: Moya Nolan

The cell door could only open about a foot before it hit the mattress on the floor and the inmate lying on top of it.

The prison officer asked if we could have a look inside.